Saudi Arabia’s plan to establish the Esports World Cup as a recurring event has been set in motion: The all-encompassing “celebration of esports” will make a return in 2025. A location hasn’t been locked in, but it’s believed the EWC will remain in the region.
The announcement came as the Esports World Cup wrapped up this weekend with PUBG, Rocket League, the Esports Awards, and the closing ceremony capping off nearly two months of action in Riyadh. Saudi-backed organization Team Falcons, who participated in just about every esport running at the event, was crowned the champions of 2024 via the club championship ladder, taking home a monstrous $7 million prize.
The Esports World Cup Foundation was established last year in the lead-up to this year’s inaugural event, with a major aim of the organization to make a “long-term impact” in the gaming and esports ecosystem, so it doesn’t come as a shock to see the event return. Given Esports Awards chief executive Michael Ashford revealed in an Esports Insider interview that the Awards would remain tied to the EWC for three years, it’s clear the event won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
Details regarding the EWCF Support Program, shared before EWC kicked off, now lists 30 orgs as members, with the Saudi-backed foundation aiming to assist in expansion and longevity in esports as a whole. “These esports organizations can receive six-figure funding to enter into new esports titles at the highest level, diversifying their competitive footprint and providing more opportunities for esports athletes,” the foundation wrote.
As far as popularity goes, it’s clear EWC will take a couple of iterations to truly catch on. While viewership for minor esports titles was on par with their other tournaments, the major esports like League of Legends, Call of Duty, Counter-Strike 2, and Dota 2 was down by as much as 40 percent compared to similar LAN events according to Esports Charts.
Far-from-ideal viewing hours due to timezones, some attendee dissatisfaction with several events, and many turning off due to the belief the Saudi investment into esports is nothing more than sportswashing, are reasons why viewership across the board lacked this year.
But, as the foundation learns and grows the EWC brand, and Saudi Arabia continues to expand in esports (such as playing host for the first Esports Olympic Games), it’s only a matter of time before the event worms its way into the calendar for good.
Published: Aug 25, 2024 10:19 pm